Phoenix Halliwell is forced to effectively turn off its heating as it struggles to meet astronomical increases in household spending (Photo: Kidney Care UK)
A father who has high household bills, including dialysis costs, said he was “shocked” by Boris Johnson’s “hostile” response after his plight was raised in the prime minister’s questions.
Phoenix Halliwell is forced to effectively turn off his heating while trying to maintain his life-saving hemodialysis five nights a week.
The 46-year-old former electrician has to use his machine for nine hours of treatment at a time – the alternative is to go to hospital.
His case was raised by Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons today, with the prime minister asking for details of the “sad” situation.
However, Mr Halliwell of Coventry does not trust the government to help him or thousands of others in such a predicament amid the escalating cost of living crisis.
He told Metro.co.uk: “I found Boris Johnson’s reaction hostile, I almost felt like he was attacking me personally, although that’s probably just my perception, as he was defending himself at the time.
“It is clear, however, that he did not like being pressured.
“I was shocked to see him. I just think the government’s response is short-sighted.
“I agree with what Mr Johnson says about the need for a strong economy in order to get out of our situation, but when he talks about highly qualified people with high-paying jobs, how will this happen when the budgets for education are reduced?
“In addition, a measure for a country is how much it cares for its most vulnerable.
“The percentage at which people pay for national insurance is increasing well and the decline in Universal Credit is good, but it is still a drop in the ocean compared to the increase that people see in the cost of living.
“A lot of people with disabilities can’t work, and that’s the little thing that’s missing and what’s most worrying.”
Phoenix Halliwell and his wife Sam had to take drastic action as dialysis costs raised their bills (Photo: Kidney Care UK)
Mr Halliwell and his wife Sam, who have a 12-year-old daughter, Rosie, as their top priority, are struggling to double their gas and electricity bills to £ 150 a month. Sam underwent further changes to his role as a midwife at the NHS, and they took drastic measures in January to halve their electricity bill, four months before the last sharp rise in prices.
They have also reduced shopping costs as food prices rise with inflation reaching a 40-year high. The percentage jumped to 9% in the 12 months to April, according to the Office for National Statistics today.
“We’ve practically turned off our central heating, so it only turns on on the coldest nights,” Mr Halliwell said.
“We have reduced the purchase of food and any electrical device that is not used is turned off, even to the extent that a jug is used to measure the exact amount of water that should enter the kettle.”
Mr. Halliwell undergoes dialysis between 10pm and 7am and uses an alarm to know exactly when the machine has completed the process of producing chemicals for the procedure.
Sir Keir Starmer launches offensive over government’s response to the cost-of-life crisis to the Prime Minister’s questions (Photo: UK Parliament) Boris Johnson has asked Sir Keir to send him details of a dialysis patient struggling to pay his bill for electricity (Photo: UK Parliament)
He skips meals and uses hats, blankets and a sleeping bag to keep warm. One-night dialysis means he can take Rosie to school and avoid having to go to the hospital, where one session at home equals three separate visits.
Living with a condition called glomerulonephritis, which has affected his kidneys since he was a teenager, means he is among 5,000 people who use home dialysis, according to Kidney Care UK.
“I guess there are some people who are very scared right now because they’ve reduced everything they can,” Mr Halliwell said.
“They are cornered and think, ‘I can’t get treatment at home, I’m going to have to go back to the hospital.’
“It puts more strain on the system and it affects us all. Fortunately, I have the support of Kidney Care UK, which highlights the plight of people who rely on medical equipment at home. ”
Phoenix Halliwell prepares her machine (Photo: Kidney Care UK)
Mr Halliwell was summoned in person by Sir Cair before the Labor leader raised his case in Parliament this afternoon.
Sir Kear said, “It’s not just him. Millions of our disabled, elderly and vulnerable neighbors are at the forefront of this crisis.
“They just can’t afford to live with dignity.”
Mr Johnson responded by asking the opposition leader to send him details of the “sad” case. He then said that the NHS “covers the costs of those on dialysis”, although according to Kidney Care UK this is not the same across the country. When the bill for the procedure is fulfilled, the full fee must be paid in advance, and the refund corresponds to only part of the amount, according to the charity.
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Mr Halliwell is currently repaying about a quarter of his electricity bill for dialysis, but fears it will fall by a third if prices rise again in October.
Data provided by the charity show that home treatment now costs between £ 590 and £ 1,450 a year for water and electricity.
“I don’t know what we will do in October,” Mr Halliwell said.
“We will have to wait and see. Our first priority will be our daughter, but at the moment I have the feeling that we are being taken away from existence.
Thousands of dialysis patients must face a sharp rise in the cost of electricity at home to maintain their basic care (Photo: Kidney Care UK)
Fiona Laud, political director at Kidney Care UK, said: “Unfortunately, the Phoenix situation is far from unique. It is heartbreaking that people who rely on medical treatment at home do not receive full, fair and timely reimbursement of the costs to which they are entitled.
“In a situation where all your costs are increasing, it’s not good to have a system that pays part of the cost, to some people, part of the time. Quite simply, this must be resolved now.
“No one should feel as if they don’t exist.”
Mr Johnson also used his answer to Sir Cair’s question to tell MEPs that the UK has the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years.
He went on to say that the government’s agenda in the Queen’s speech was “for the introduction of infrastructure, skills, technology that will be built, will continue to be built, a platform for growth and jobs in this country”.
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